Although A Canticle for Leibowitz was published as
a book in 1959, one version of it was written earlier. The first
section, also entitled "A Canticle for Leibowitz" (now
"Fiat Homo" ["Let There Be Man"]) appeared
in 1955, the second section appeared as "And the Light Is
Risen" ("Fiat Lux" ["Let There be Light"])
the next year, and the conclusion appeared in 1957 as "The
Last Canticle" ("Fiat Voluntas Tua" ["Thy
Will Be Done"]), all in The Magazine of Fantasy and
Science Fiction. When he reworked the material for the novel,
Miller made substantial changes and additions. Although
he published a few stories before and after, and wrote most of
a sequel to Canticle, at his death this remained
his only successful work. The sequel, Saint Leibowitz and the
Wild Horse Woman was almost finished when he committed suicide,
and was completed by Terry Bisson and published in 1997. Canticle
is widely considered a classic, has never been out of print, and
is widely taught in science fiction courses.

Written during the height of 50s concern over the danger of nuclear
war, Canticle was the most literarily successful
science fiction novel written on the subject until Russell Hoban's
Riddley Walker (1980). Part of
the novel's success derives from its richly realized setting,
a post-holocaust America where scraps of pre-war knowledge are
gathered and preserved by a Catholic Church which no longer understands
that knowledge. The novel takes for granted familiarity with the
idea that after the fall of the Roman Empire, knowledge was preserved
in Western Europe almost exclusively in small, isolated communities
of priests and monks during a centuries-long dark age, recopied
by men who often understood little of the ancient manuscripts
of which they were the custodians.

There have been scores of novels set after a nuclear war in a
neo-Medieval setting, but none so lovingly developed on the basis
of a detailed study of the original Middle Ages. Miller remained
a Catholic through much his life, though in tension with the Church, (he turned bitterly against it toward the end, as is evident in Saint Leibowitz and the Wild Horsewoman). Most
SF is highly critical of religion when it touches on the subject
at all; but Canticle is distinguished by its serious
consideration of religious issues, even though it sometimes departs
from orthodoxy. Miller obviously could not have anticipated Vatican
II's movement away from the use of Latin, and he imagines its
revival in the new Dark Age, with the English of our age functioning
only as an archaic ceremonial language.

The other most memorable feature of the books is the delightful
portrait of the feckless brother Francis. Richly detailed characterization
and real wit are both unusual in SF, and have helped to make this
work a classic. "Fiat Homo" is clearly the strongest
part of the work, which suffers to some degree as a novel from
the very long time spans which separate each of its sections.
Like The Martian Chronicles, it is well to remember
that each section was composed separately and can still be read
rewardingly on its own.

"Saint Raul the Cyclopean"; in Greek mythology
a cyclops
has only one eye, in the center of his forehead. This saint was
presumably a similarly deformed person genetically damaged by
the lingering radiation of the nuclear war which provides the
backdrop for the novel. In the discussion of the Church's attitude
toward such mutations, how can one tell that the Church (unlike
its Medieval predecessor) does not dominate the culture of the
time?

"Adonoi Elohim" ("Lord God",
more conventionally spelled "Adonai"):
a specifically Jewish chant. Lurking in the background of this
tale is the Medieval legend of the
"Wandering Jew."
According to this legend (unsupported by anything in the Bible,
but widely told), when Christ was carrying his cross to the place
of crucifixion, he paused to rest at the threshold of a house.
Its owner roughly told him to move on. Jesus sadly replied, "You
move on too, until I return." The householder was forced
to wander about the earth, undying, regretting his cruelty to
the Savior, until Christ should return at the last judgment. Although
this mysterious figure shares certain features with the Wandering
Jew, Miller is no antisemite. What qualities characterize this
character?

"I'm not a sport" a mutant.

"Leibowitz Abbey." "Leibowitz"
is intended to be immediately recognizable as a Jewish name. When
the pilgrim mocks Francis by commenting that his kind are "still
writing things backward" he reveals that he is more comfortable
with Hebrew, which is written from right to left. Francis, however,
is too ignorant to figure all this out.

"vocational vigils" a period of testing to see whether
a novice (would-be monk) has the vocation "calling"--determining
whether he is suitable, and chosen by God) to be a full-fledged
monk.

"Ash Wednesday." Six weeks before Easter,
the beginning of Lent,
which was traditionally a period of repentance and penance,
involving abstinence from meat and other pleasures.

"Apage Satanas!" "Begone, Satan!"

"The natural results seemed to appear ex opere
operato:" "from the operation, not the operator (literally, "from the work having been worked"),: a
theological phrase which maintains the the sacraments are rendered
valid not by the holiness of the priest who performs them but
solely through the performance of the appropriate action. Though
Francis thinks himself unworthy to perform an exorcism, his effort
apparently works.

"Beelzebub" devil (the name was originally
an insulting Jewish pun on the name of the Canaanite god Baalzebul,
whose name meant "Lord of Lords;" the pun means "Lord
of the Flies," and was commonly used later as a name for
the Devil).

"Et ne nos inducas in . . ." "And
lead us not into . . . " The phrase from the Lord's prayer
which concludes with "temptation."

What does the stranger mean by his reference to changing stones
into bread? (Hint: see Matthew 4:1-4.)

"Libellus Leibowitz " "Little Book
of Leibowitz." Note that some of the following Latin lines
are immediately translated by Miller.

Beatus ("blessed") is a term assigned to
those who are regarded as especially saintly, but who are not
yet officially designated as saints. In what way does Leibowitz's
status resemble that of Francis?

What is the pilgrim's attitude toward Francis? What is Francis'
attitude toward the pilgrim? Which of them seems more intelligent?
How can you tell? Explain the symbolism of the keystone.

"O inscrutabilis Scrutator animarum, cui patet omne
cor, si me vocaveras, olim a te fugeram. Si autem nunc velis vocare
me indignum . . ." "O inscrutable scrutinzer of
souls, to whom every heart is open, if you had called me, once I
would have fled from you. If however now you should wish to call
me, though unworthy. . . ."

"Libera me . . ." "Free me,"
translated below as "Set me free. . . ." Francis will repeat part of this same prayer in Chapter 2, just after asking Leibowitz to pray for him.

The two Hebrew characters on page 10 are explained later in Chapter
3.

"pagan cabals" "The Kabbalah
consists of mystical Jewish interpretations of the Hebrew Bible.
Here the term stands for any mystical teachings disapproved of
by the Church.

Why is it ironic to call the buzzards a "heavenly host?"

The Paraclete
is a mysterious figure mentioned in the Gospel of John traditionally
interpreted as the Savior. Note from Rev. Victor Peri Bogdanoff
(rcc@ultranet.com): The
term "Paraclete" is used two ways in John's Gospel:
by the author in reference to "the whole scope of Jesus'
and ministry both before and after his resurrection" and
by Jesus himself to refer to a mysterious figure that will be
sent to the disciples after his death, to 'be with them always.'" In the Catholic tradition in which Miller is working, the "paraclete" is normally taken to be the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity, especially as manifested at Pentacost when it descended among Christ's disciples.

Explain the reference to the "Dove." (Hint: see Matthew 3:16.)

The Flame Deluge here refers to the nuclear holocaust
which destroyed civilization, but "Deluge" originally
designates the Biblical flood which destroyed all creatures outside
the ark.

Salamanders were supposed in the Middle Ages to be able to survive
in fire, probably because they were often found in the ashes of
fires where they had taken refuge in search of residual heat after
the fires were out.

Radioactive isotopes of cobalt, strontium and cesium were all
much in the news as a result of concern over fallout from atomic
bomb testing.

What does it tell you about this society that the term "servus
puer" is familiar to Francis?

"ending the matter without benefit of clergy"
dying suddenly, without any opportunity to confess sins to a priest
and prepare for death and receiving the Last Rites: Confession, viaticum (communion for the dying), and anointing ("extreme unction").

What was the probable explanation of the transformations undergone
by the "launching pad site?"

Blueprints, now rare, used to be the dominant method of reproducing
architectural and engineering drawings. They consist of white
lines on a blue background and are prone to fade if exposed too
much to light.

What was the evident occupation of Leibowitz?

Leibowitz seems to have scrambled together a collection of miscellaneous
junk and papers and shoved them in the "first tool box he
happened to grab," sealed it and labelled it "Top Secret"
and sent his wife to take it to this location. Why? Did he succeed
in accomplishing what he wanted to do?

Promotor Fidei The formal title of the so-called "Devil's Advocate," who challenges claims to sainthood. See below, Chapter 7.

"Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae" "The
angel of the Lord announced unto Mary" (see Luke 1:26-35);
the prayer recited at sunrise, noon, and sunset, but traditionally associated especially with sundown, called the "Angelus." It commemorates the mysteries of the Annunciation (when Gabriel appeared to Mary and received her assent to bear the Son of God) and the Incarnation (when the Son of God took on flesh in the womb of Mary) (SS).

A "beatus"
can only be recognized as a full-fledged saint if the Church confirms
that he or she has performed a certain number of miracles after death. Even a beatus must have some documented miracles; a saint needs even more. In modern times
the rules restricting the recognition of saints (
"canonization") have become rather strict.

The passage about the debate over Mary's "Preternatural Gifts"
is a parody of the sort of tangled debate that led to the declaration
of the Virgin's "immaculate conception"
(the doctrine that she was conceived without original sin, though
the term is often confused with "virgin birth" the doctrine
that she conceived Jesus while remaining a virgin) in 1854. The
Dominicans are famous for their conservative theology (they were
the order which ran the Renaissance Holy Inquisition).

What does it tell us about the social system of America that Father
Cheroki "came of baronial stock?"

"Arkos" suggests "ark." There are two
arks in the Bible: Noah's, which preserved human and animal
life through the flood and the Ark of the Covenant, the box which
contained the tablets of the Jewish law. It is thus an appropriate
name for a preserver of knowledge in a postholocaust era (Olsen
140). But Ken Smith points out in a private communication that the word is Greek for "bear," and that when Arkos is first introduced in the second paragraph of this chapter, "he reminded Cheroki of a were-bear only incompletely changed into a man."

Why is Cheroki so hostile to the idea that the pilgrim was a miraculous
appearance of Leibowitz?

"Benedicamus Domino" "Let us bless
the Lord": the standard greeting among monks. The standard
response is "Deo gratias"--"Thanks be to God;"
but Francis' timidity is indicated by the hesitant question marks
after each word in his reply.

Antiphon for Maundy Thursday: "Mandatum novum
do vobis: ut diligatis invicem . . ." I give you a new commandment:
to love one another" (John 13:34). Maundy Thursday
is the day before Good Friday. This antiphon is sung during the "Maundy Laving" (see below, Chapter 25).

"Inquisition" The Holy Inquisition
was an often ruthless and bloody Church organization dedicated to rooting
out heresy, run by the Dominicans. Its chief officers were called
"inquisitors."

"Catharism"
technically a Medieval religion popular in Provence until it was
crushed by the Pope and the king of France in the infamous Albigensian
Crusade of the 13th Century. Like Manicheanism, its predecessor in antiquity,
it argued that the world is the locus of a struggle between two
divine powers, one good, the other evil. Christianity argued that
God was both perfectly good and supreme, and rejected the notion
that Satan, for instance, had any power independent of God's.
Why do you think Catharism might have revived in the time during
which this story is set?

"advocatus diaboli" The officer of the
Church whose job was to challenge the evidence presented to prove
that someone was a saint. His title means literally "devil's
advocate," but his role is by no means seen as evil. His
concern is to be certain that Leibowitz did not become a monk
before establishing with certainty that his wife was dead because
the Church forbid married men to become monks or priests, although
widowers could.

"Ecce quam bonum, et quam jucundum" Psalms
133:1: " Behold how good and how delightful."The psalm goes on "to live together as brothers in unity," so it is particularly appropriate for this ritual in which the new monks receive the kiss of brotherhood (SS).

A
"missal"
is a book containing all the prayers necessary for celebrating
the mass throughout the year, a breviary contains the prayers
used to be recited at various hours of the day, and the Summa
is probably St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae
(1267-73), the standard theological treatise of the Catholic faith.

"dulia" "Veneration (as opposed to worship, which is given to God alone)" (SS).

"Gratissima Nobis causa, fili"
"Your cause is most pleasing to us, on account of her Son."

"sub ducatu sancti Spiritus" "under the guidance of the Holy Spirit."

"miserere nobis" "Have mercy upon
us."

"Sancta Dei Genitrix, ora pro nobis,Sancta Virgo virginum,
ora pro nobis" "Holy Mother of God, pray for us,
Holy Virgin of Virgins, pray for us." Invocations in a lengthy and repetitious chant called the Litany of the Saints, a traditional prayer that calls upon Mary and all the saints for their intercession on behalf of the faithful. (The following invocation, Omnes sancti martyres, is also part of this litany. SS)

"Veni, Creator Spiritus"
"Come, Creator Spirit" One of the most famous chants
of the liturgy, a hymn to the Holy Spirit, used for the feast of Pentecost or (as here) to in order to call down the guidance and insight of the Spirit (SS).

"Quidam mihi calix nuper expletur, Paule. Precamini
ergo Deum facere me fortiorem. Metuo ut hic pereat. Spero te et
fratres saepius oraturos esse pro tremescente Marco Apollini.
Valete in Christo, Amici." "A certain chalice
is filled up for me recently, O Paulo. Pray therefore
to God to make me stronger. I fear that I am doomed to death. I hope
that you and the brothers will pray more often for the trembling Marcus
Apollo. Farewell in Christ, friends." The image of the full cup, or chalice
to symbolize bitter suffering is taken from Matthew 26:42, where Jesus prays that he may be spared his impending suffering.

After centuries of preserving human knowledge, why are some of
those in the Church not entirely happy about its spread? In what
ways does history seem to be repeating itself?

"Logos" as used in John 1:1. Logos is far
more than simply the Greek for "word." It means something
like: "meaning" or "underlying pattern, structure,
purpose."

"Veronica's veil" according to legend,
a woman named Veronica
helped Christ on his way to be crucified by wiping his sweaty
face with her handkerchief. An image of his face came off on the
cloth, which was preserved and exhibited for many centuries. Some
scholars think the story was born out of a misinterpretation of
the Greek phrase "vera ikon," meaning "true image."

"Cave canem" "Beware of the dog"
a not uncommon inscription on ancient Roman houses.

"Vexilla regis" The rest of the line is
quoted and translated on the next page. The 6th-century poet and
bishop Venantius Fortunatus composed a Good Friday hymn which
begins "Vexilla regis prodeunt" ("the banners of
the King advance," hailing the Crucifixion). Dante Alighieri
parodied it in the first line of the final canto of his Inferno
(part of the Commedia Divina--Divine Comedy)
in which the hymn is altered so that the banners referred to become
the vast wings of Satan.

"Sancta Maisie, interride pro me" instead
of the more common request to a saint--"pray for me"--he
asks her to laugh for him. "Interride" is a pun on the more usual "intercede" (SS). "Maisie" is probably a reference to a popular radio comedy series starring Ann Sothern: "The Adventures of Maisie."

What evidence is there that Benjamin is the Wandering Jew, or
some variation on that theme? What evidence is there later in
the chapter that he doesn't fit the Wandering Jew tradition precisely?

"prodigal" In this context, stray (though the word more specifically means "spendthrift." This is an allusion to the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:13-32, concerning a young man who wandered away but returned home at last.

Benjamin's speech about the goat is a compound of several Biblical
references. Goats traditionally symbolized the damned in Christianity,
as sheep symbolized the saved (see Matthew 25:33),
at least partly because of the ancient Jewish tradition of the
"scapegoat"--a sacrificial animal on whose back all
the sins of the community were laid when it was driven into the
desert to be destroyed by the demon Azazel (see
Leviticus 16:8-10).
Benjamin also identifies the goat as the beast on which the "Whore
of Babylon" (originally symbolizing ancient Rome) rides in
Revelation 17:3
at the end of the world.

Saint Paul was by profession a tent-maker; so it is not inappropriate
that Benjamin should be a tent-mender.

The Hebrew inscription in this chapter is the Shema,
the central statement of faith in Judaism, from Deuteronomy 6:4,
which Jews originally wore in a container on their forheads and
posted beside their doors in a container called a mezzuzah.
Modern Jews often wear it in a small mezzuzah on a chain around
the neck. In the King James translation it is rendered as "Hear,
O Israel: the Lord your God is One God."

"Torquemada" Tomás de Torquemada,
infamously cruel Spanish Inquisitor General in the late 15th century,
largely responsible for causing the expulsion of the Jews from
Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella.

How does Dom Paulo rationalize to himself Benjamin's claims to
have lived for thirty-two centuries? Miller is careful to provide
plausible rationalist alternatives for the seeming miracles in
this book.

In discussing Christian theology with Paulo Benjamin makes some
typically Jewish criticisms: whereas Jews believe in only one,
undivided God, Christians claim that God can be three (Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit) and one at the same time; Christ's resurrection
("life in death") is not a part of traditional Jewish
beliefs about the Messiah, who once born is never supposed to
die; and Paul explains away the necessity to have faith in apparent
absurdities in 1 Corinthians 1:17-25
in a passage that became a powerful tool against rationalism in
the Middle Ages, whereas for Jews wisdom is identified with knowledge
of and obedience to the Law.

"anchorite" a hermit, often living in the
desert.

Why does Dom Paulo call the Jewish Messiah the "One-Who-Isn't-Coming?"

"Samuel warned us against them." In Samuel 8
the Hebrews reject rule by religious leaders and beg the prophet
Samuel for a king. In Samuel 8:10-18
he lists the many disadvantages of having a secular ruler, but
at their insistence he crowns Saul whose reign turns out--as predicted--disastrously.

What precisely is the danger that Benjamin sees emerging at the
present time? Why is he skeptical of the value of reemerging science
and technology?

This chapter begins with a reading based loosely on passages from
the books of Job and Revelation in the Bible, but actually retelling
the story of the Flame Deluge (nuclear war). Also alluded to is
the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19).
In ancient Jewish tradition sheep (Genesis 22:1-13)
or goats (Leviticus 16:15-22
are sacrificed as a substitute for human sacrifice, often to atone
for sin. Although Christians reinstituted the concept of human
sacrifice symbolically by considering the crucified Christ as
the sacrificial "lamb of God," (John 1:29)
Jews and Christians both generally regard the reversion to literal
human sacrifice as a great evil.

The word "holocaust" (Hebrew olah) has a complex history. Originally
it designated a particular type of Hebrew sacrifice:
one which was entirely consumed by fire instead of the usual practice
in which most of the sacrifice was consumed by the priests. The
term was ironically applied to the incineration of millions of Jews in Hitler's Germany.
Later writers, anticipating a global nuclear war, extended its
meaning to apply to such a catastrophe.

The word "Name" is used instead of the actual name of
the ruler of the nation that begins the war. "Pik-a-don"
is Japanese for "flash-boom" and was the name initially
given to the Hiroshima bomb by its victims. Miller is building on the Jewish tradition of not pronouncing the sacred name of God (YHWH) when reading aloud, but substituting Adonai ("Lord") instead. In some early editions
the scientist-magi's name is misprinted "Backeneth"
the first time instead of "Blackeneth."

What does this story convey about Miller's thoughts on the threat
of nuclear war? Give as many details as possible.

"lectio devina" "divine reading." The term refers to the monastic practice of "spiritual reading," i.e. using scriptural and patristic texts as a springboard for meditation and contemplation. In this quotation devina is a misprint for divina (SS).

During the test of the new arc lamp, the monks recite the opening of Genesis (verses 1-5, given below in the familiar King James Version because of its literary influence; consult a modern translation for a more precise rendering of the original Hebrew):

"In principio Deus" In the beginning God."

"Caelum et terram creavit" created heaven
and earth."

"Vacuus autem erat mundus" "The earth
however was a formless void."

"Cum tenebris in superficie profundorum"
"with darkness on the face of the deep."

"Gratias Creatori Spiritui" "Thanks
be to the Creator Spirit" (not in the Biblical text).

"Dixitque Deus: 'FIAT LUX"" "and
God said, 'Let there be light."

"Lucem esse bonam Deus vidit" "And
God saw that the light was good."

"Et secrevit lucem a tenebris," and he
divided the light from the darkness."

"Lucem appellavit 'diem' et tenebras 'noctes:'"
"and he called the light 'day' and the dark 'night'."

"Vespere occaso" "Evening having fallen."

"Lucifer" the monk shouts a common name
for the devil when he is shocked, but "Lucifer" is originally
also a name for the planet Venus and means "light-bringer."
The first matches in the 19th century were called "lucifers."

"ortus est et primo die" and morning, the
first day."

What is the effect of having the monks recite this passage as
they inaugurate the lamp?

Before light bulbs were developed, the first electric lights were
noisy, expensive, but extremely brilliant arc lights like this.
Looking directly at one is much like looking directly at a welding
tool.

What is the poet implying when he suggests that Leibowitz will
become the new scapegoat?

Why does the abbot pretend that he is not worried about the study
Thon Thaddeo's companions have made of the abbey's fortifications?

"et tu, Brute" "you too, Brutus"
supposedly the last words of Julius Caesar,
shocked that among those who stabbed him was his former friend
and ally Brutus.

What is indicated about the men at the abbey by their reaction
to Thon Thaddeo's description of Monsignor Apollo's unscientific
beliefs about the refraction of light?

What is ironic about the young monk's use of Saint Augustine in
this discussion?

What foreboding prediction does Thon Thaddeo make about the course
of science in the future?

Explain the meaning of the two paragraphs toward the end of the
chapter which begin "He also suffered them to know how it
might be saved. . . ."

What is signified by Benjamin's appearance and speech?p>

Chapter 21"Regnans in Excelsis" "Reigning in
the highest." The bull Regnans in Excelsis was the document published by Pope Pius V on February 25, 1570, excommunicating Queen Elizabeth I of England (SS).

The first line indicates that this chapter is set in November, since the feast of All Saints is November 1 (SS).

"Vaquero" Spanish for "cowboy."

"interdict" In the Middle Ages an interdict
was imposed when the ruler of a country was excommunicated. Essentially
the Church would go on strike, halting all masses, confessions,
burials, weddings, etc., in the hope of arousing popular sentiment
to force the ruler to submit to the pope.

What does this chapter have to say about the relationship between
science and government?

"simoniac" A term used to characterize
corrupt Church officials, particularly those who buy and sell
Church offices (derived originally from the story of Simon Magus
in Acts 8:9-24).

What is the significance of the fact that the names of the bishops
who have signed Hannegan's proclamation are unknown to the abbot?

"Diluvium Ignis" "Flame Deluge."

Why might Thon Thaddeo be drawn to the theory that humanity is
a recent invention developed by a pre-holocaust race? What effect
would that fact have on the value of his scientific research?

"Lege" "Read!"

Thaddeo has been misled into thinking that humans were created
in the 20th century by reading a fragment from Karel Capek's 1921
play R.U.R.
(Rossum's Universal Robots), in which a scientist manages to breed
artificial humans, called robotniki in the original
Czech, translated as "robot" into English, becoming
the word for "artificial human" in later writings. Click here for Ron Webb's comments on this reference.

Over the whole course of the novel, who do you think turns out
to be "right" about the importance of knowledge: Thaddeo
or Paulo?

"ad Lumina Christi" "at the lights ('lamps')
of Christ."

"Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine. . . . Quia viderunt
oculi mei salutare. . " Excerpts from the gospel canticle that is sung during Compline, the night office, as a preparation for ending the day and going to bed, known as the Nunc dimittis (SS). The quoted
portions means "Now let thy servant depart, O Lord ['in peace"
is omitted here]. . . . Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation."
The passage occurs originally in Luke 2:29-32
as the speech of Simeon, an elderly pious Jew who thinks he can
now die in peace because he has seen the promised Messiah. What
do you think is the speech's significance in context of Canticle?

"For God doth know that in what day soever you shall
eat thereof . . ." is from Genesis 3:4.
What does this passage seem to mean in its original context? How
does it relate to the subject of this chapter?

The title comes from Luke 22:42,
in which Jesus, facing crucifixion, prays to God to be spared,
but concludes, "Nevertheless, let Thy will be done."
What tone does this set for the final section, given the original
context of the speech?

"manifest destiny"
originally the 19th-century belief that the U.S. had the right
to extend its power over all of America.

Adam and Christ, first paired by Paul (see 1 Corinthians 15),
are traditionally taken to represent respectively humanity's fall
into sin and redemption from it. Here they represent the ambivalence
of the new scientific age, full of both hope and fear.

"Wir marschieren weiter wenn alles in Scherben fällt"
"We march further when everything falls to pieces" From
a Nazi marching song glorifying war.

"Proteus vulgaris" This is a common amoeba
named after the fact that it, like the ancient Greek God Proteus,
has no fixed shape and can assume many forms. It would have in
common with atrophy and entropy the quality of increasing disorder,
as do the destructive forces of time which taunt would-be military
conquerers in this passage. If you you have further suggestions
about this reference, please write brians@wsu.edu.
Click here for Ron Webb's comments on this reference.

Lucifer: as noted above, the Devil is often referred
to as Lucifer, here alluded to as the tempter of Eve. In the Canticle
of the Brethren of the Order of Leibowitz, the phrase proclaims
the fall of Lucifer from Heaven, where he was an angel until he
rebelled against God (see Luke 10:18). The words are used as a code phrase to communicate
the success of a nuclear bomb test. Remember that "Lucifer"
had also been used earlier in reference to the arc lamp invented
at the abbey. Instead of good triumphing over evil, then, the
phrase could suggest the extinction of light.

"Kyrie eleison" "Lord, have mercy,"
the Greek phrase occurs early in the Mass text.

The slashed "V" and "R" in the Canticle label
the versicle (Versiculus) to be sung by one voice and its response (Responsum) by the massed choir (SS).

"bureaucratic Dutch boys" refers to a once-famous
incident in the novel Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates,
in which a young boy saves his town by plugging a leak in a dike
with his finger.

What is the point of the "Lady Reporter" sarcastically
asking the Defense Minister whether he is in favor of Motherhood?

The Abominable Autoscribe would seem to be an advanced sort of
word processor. Remember that when this novel was written the
only computers in the world weighed many tons and filled large
rooms but had less power than a common pocket calculator today.

"lèse majest&eacte;" "a French
legal term which describes acts which are crimes because of the
noble social status of the people against whom they are committed.

Father Zerchi ironically comments that if a computer can emulate
a human soul, it can also "fall" like Adam and Eve.
What tone does this passage set concerning technology?

What does the existence of incompatible American dialects imply
about social organization?

Vulgate Latin would be the late Classical Latin of the
Vulgate Bible,
used by the Church for all official purposes until the mid-60s, and still used for official papal documents today.

"Oh, ye of little faith" is a quotation
from is a quotation from Matthew 6:30.

"Before the cock crows thrice" refers to
Christ's prophecy on the night before his crucifixion that Peter
will betray him (Matthew 26:34; Mark 14:30; John 13:38).

"Hinc igitur effuge" "Flee therefore from
here."

"Motu proprio" "on his own initiative" (literally "by his own motion." This is also the title of a certain category of papal documents (SS).

"Anno Domini" Year of our Lord: A.D.

"Ab hac planeta nativitatis aliquos filios Ecclesiae
usque ad planetas solium alienorum iam abisse et numquam redituros
esse intelligimus" " We understand that from
this planet of their birth some sons of the Church have already
gone off to the planets of alien suns, and will never return." Intelligimus should be intellegimus (SS).

"Chris'tecum" An abbreviated "Christ
be with you, used as a farewell like the old "God be with
ye," now abbreviated to "good-bye."

"Cum spiri'tuo" "And with thy spirit."
A standard part of Catholic ritual, including the text of the Mass: "Dominus tecum; et cum spiritu tuo" "The Lord be with you; and with your spirit" (SS).

"Said the namesake of my namesake" Refers
to a miracle performed by Joshua, the leader of the Hebrew invasion
of Canaan, commanding the sun and moon to stand still so that
there would be enough time to complete their victory in the valley
of Gabaon. See Joshua 10:12-14.
What does Joshua mean by saying that it would be useful to be
able to perform this trick "in these times too?"

"et tu, Luna, recedite in orbitas reversas. . . ." "and you, Moon, move in reverse in your orbit" (literally, "go back into reversed orbits"--slightly different from the English version given in the just preceding sentence).

"dauntless Dutch boys" see note for the preceding chapter
on "bureaucratic Dutch boys."

The American War Department was changed to the more peaceful-sounding
"Defense Department" after World War II.

What does this second press conference imply about the events
the Defense Minister is so carefully denying?

Phoenix:
a mythical bird that once every 500 years sets itself on fire
and is reborn from an egg in the ashes.

Alpha Centauri
is the nearest star (actually two stars) to Earth, about four
light-years away. It is now believed to be incapable of having
planets which could sustain life.

Why is "Joshua" an appropriate name for the leader of
the Church's project to emigrate to another planet?

Few of the names in this novel have obvious meanings, but "Grales"
seems like an ironic reference to the Holy Grail of Medieval legend:
the cup which Christ used at the Last Supper, which caught his
blood on the cross, and for which King Arthur's knights sought.

"Accedite ad eum" "Approach him."

"lingua prima" first language.

Maundy laving: On Maundy Thursday (the day before
Good Friday), the clergy (including the Pope) ceremonially wash the feet of some of
the poor in commemoration of Jesus' washing the feet of the disciples
(John 13:5).

What has happened between the end of the last chapter and the
beginning of this? Who started it?

Cain is famous being the first murderer in the Bible, having killed his brother (see Genesis 4:1-16).

What is the meaning of the quotation from Eleventh Pius?

"Non habemus regem nisi caesarem" "We
have no king but Caesar." See John 19:15.
How does this relate to the preceding quotation?

"Grex peregrinus erit. Quam primum est factum suscipiendum
vobis, jussu Sactae Sedis. Suscipite ergo operis partem ordini
vestro propriam" "The flock will be a pilgrim [or "traveling, wandering"] one. As soon as possible the deed must be undertaken by you, by order of the Holy See. Undertake therefore the part of the work proper to your Order." Sactae is a misprint for sanctae (SS).

Eminentissimo Domino Eric Cardinali Hoffstraff obsequitur
Jethra Zerchius, A. O. L., Abbas. Ad has res disputandas iam coegi
discessuros fratres ut hodie parati dimitti Roman prima aerisnave
possint. "Jethrah Zerchi, A.O.L., Abbot, complies with the Most Reverend Lord Eric Cardinal Hoffstraff. I have already collected the brothers who will depart, so that, ready today, they can be sent off to Rome on the first airplane to discuss these matters." Roman should be Romam (SS).

"abbas" Literally "Father" in
Hebrew, but used as the title of the head of an abbey: an abbot.

"Audi me, Domine" "Hear me, O Lord."

"negotium perambulans in tenebris" "The
pestilence that stalks in darkness." (Psalms 91:6)

"Reminiscentur et convertentur ad Dominum universi
fines terrae. Et adorabunt in conspectu universae familiae gentium.
Quoniam. Domini est regnum; et ipse dominabitur." "All
the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord; and
all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee. For
the kingdom is the Lord's; and he will rule among the nations"
(Psalms 22:27).
Why is it ironic that this is the Psalm which happens to be scheduled
for this night?

"Crucis autem onus si audisti ut honorem, nihilo errasti
auribus" "If however you heard the burden of the cross as an ‘honor,’ by no means have you erred with your ears." The abbot thinks that Joshua mistook oneri "burden" for honori "honor" when he posed his original question (SS).

"Accipiam" I shall accept.

"the principle of Epikeia" The moral-legal principle that one can act against the letter of the law in a certain situation when it is supposed that the lawmaker would have allowed it, given the extenuating circumstances (SS). In this case the doctrine
by which part of the Church--if separated from communication with
the Roman hierarchy (in particular, the Pope)--may institute its
own parallel hierarchy to assure the continuity of the Apostolic
Succession (note by Steven A. Schoenig and Richard Reed).

"Dies Irae"Hymn about the Last Judgment, written by Thomas of Celano
in the 13th Century and incorporated into the liturgy for the
Catholic requiem (funeral) mass, obviously appropriate here considering
both the plight of Zerchi and humanity in general.

"Fas est" This is a Medieval Latin phrase meaning roughly "It is lawful"--that is, according to divine law.

"Nisi baptizata es et nisi baptizari nonquis, te baptizo. . . ."Zerchi is being cautious, not at all certain that it would be proper to baptize something he suspects does not have a soul, so he covers himself by saying, roughly, "Unless you have been baptized, and unless you cannot be baptized, I baptize you. . . ."

"Domine, non sum dignus, sed tantum dic verbo"
"Lord, I am not worthy, but only speak the word"
Spoken by a Roman centurion to
Jesus in Capernaum (Matthew 8:8), when Jesus offered to come and heal
his servant: "Domine non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum: sed
tantum dic verbo et sanabitur puer meus." In the traditional Latin rite, the priest recites a modifed version of the centurion's saying just before he receives the sacred host, substituting "anima" ("soul") for "puer" ("servant").

The first sacrament is baptism.

The Magnificat is the hymn of the Virgin Mary celebrating
the fact that she is to bear the Christ (Luke 1:46-55).
Dom Zerchi imagines that the newly-awakened Rachel is purely innocent,
like Mary (born of an "immaculate conception," free
of all sin), and therefore does not need baptism, whose function
is to wash away sins.

"Sic transit mundus" "Thus passes the world." This is a play on the phrase used in a medieval ritual at the coronation of a pope. In the sight of the new pope, a cleric would burn some hemp and cry out, Sancte Pater, sic transit gloria mundi!, "Holy Father, thus passes the glory of the world!" He would then quench it and repeat the ritual twice more. It was meant to remind the pope of the transitory nature of earthly fame, so that he would keep humble and fix his priorities on eternal life (SS).

Tom Foster points out that the action of the last monk to enter the spaceship, slapping his sandals together, echoes such Biblical passages as Mark 6:11: "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."

The novel began with hungry vultures; it ends with hungry sharks.
But whereas the vultures at least had a certain crude vitality,
the sharks are presumably doomed like the rest of life on earth.

Is the ending of the novel optimistic, pessimistic, or something
in between?

Recommended studies on A Canticle for Leibowitz:

Olsen, Alexandra H. "Re-Vision: A Comparison of A Canticle
for Leibowitz and the Novellas Originally Published."
Extrapolation 38(Summer 1997): 235-149.

Percy, Walker. "Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s A Canticle
for Leibowitz." In Rediscoveries: Informal Essays
in Which Well-Known Novelists Rediscover Neglected Eowrks of Fiction
by One of Their Favorite Authors. Ed. David Madden. New York:
Crown, 1971.

Samuelson, David N. Visions of Tomorrow: Six Journeys from
Outer to Inner Space. New York: Arno, 1975.

Senior, W. A. "From the Begetting of Monsters:
Distortion as a Unifier in A Canticle for Leibowitz,"
Extrapoltion 34 (Winter 1993): 329-42.